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Nebraska Legislature set to vote on transgender health bill

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature was set to vote Thursday on a contentious bill that seeks to ban gender-affirming care for minors and led one lawmaker to stage a weekslong filibuster.The vote to advance the bill was expected on the third day of debate in which lawmakers have angrily accused one another of hypocrisy and a lack of collegiality. It also saw Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt promising to join fellow Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh’s effort to filibuster every bill that comes before lawmakers for the rest of the 90-day session if the bill advances. Hunt took to the floor of the Legislature on Wednesday to confess that the debate is deeply personal for her, because her teenage son is transgender. She called the bill an affront to her as a parent and called out by name lawmakers she would hold accountable if they vote to advance it.“If this bill passes, all your bills are on the chopping block, and the bridge is burned,” she said. “I’m not doing anything for you. Bec...

Pope Francis’s tour came with a minimum $55-million price tag for Ottawa

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

A family member of residential school survivors says the minimum $55-million price tag for the Pope’s visit to Canada last year feels like another slap in the face for Indigenous people. “Think of all the money that could have gone to survivors, all of the money that could have gone to healing, all of the money that was rightfully supposed to be given to folks who survived genocide,” Michelle Robinson, who is Sahtu Dene, said from Calgary. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under freedom of information laws show the federal government spent a minimum of $55,972,683 for the leader of the Roman Catholic Church to visit Canada over six days last July.   Pope Francis apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools during stops in Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut.Indigenous Services Canada earmarked about $30 million. Those funds were to be used for travel, local programs and healing initiatives.Crown-Indigenous Relations spent $5.1 million, the majority for a $3.9-mill...

Cost of India quitting coal is $900 billion, think tank says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

BENGALURU, India (AP) — If India stopped burning coal tomorrow, over five million people would lose their jobs. But for a price tag of around $900 billion over the next 30 years, the country can make sure nobody is left behind in the huge move to clean energy to curb human-caused climate change, according to figures released by New Delhi-based think tank Thursday.The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology, known by the acronym iFOREST, released two reports detailing how much it will cost for India to move away from coal and other dirty fuels without jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions who still are employed in coal mines and thermal power plants. Ensuring that everyone can come along in the clean energy shift that’s needed to stop the worst harms of climate change and guaranteeing new work opportunities for those in fossil fuel industries, known as a just transition, has been a major consideration for climate and energy analysts. “Just transiti...

WATCH LIVE | TikTok CEO faces off with Congress over security fears

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEO of TikTok will make a high-profile appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he'll face a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned. Shou Zi Chew's testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology. Chew, a 40-year-old Singapore native, is making a rare public appearance to counter the volley of accusations that TikTok has been facing. On Wednesday, the company sent dozens of popular TikTokers to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to preserve the platform. It has also been putting up ads all over Washington that tout promises of securing users data and privacy and creating a safe platform for its young ...

6 killed after driver loses control, veers into highway work zone: police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

WOODLAWN, Md. (AP) — New details are emerging about a crash along the Baltimore beltway Wednesday that left six construction workers dead after a driver lost control of her vehicle, which went careening into a work zone, according to Maryland State Police.Lisa Adrienna Lea, 54, was identified as the driver of a gray Acura headed northbound on Interstate 695 near the Security Boulevard exit when she went to change lanes and struck the front passenger side of a Volkswagen, state police said in a news release late Wednesday. The impact caused her to lose control, and her vehicle ended up traveling between the temporary jersey walls of the construction zone.Police said Lea was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Shock Trauma Center for treatment of the injuries she sustained in the crash, which closed the beltway for hours in both directions, snarling traffic along the west side of the highway that encircles Baltimore. She was the sole occupant of the Acura.Emergency pe...

TikTok's security risks continue to raise fears, but why?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

The battle between the U.S. and China over TikTok comes into full view on Thursday when the social media platform's CEO testifies before Congressional lawmakers.Shou Zi Chew's hearing is happening at what he's called a “pivotal moment” for the hugely popular short video-sharing app. TikTok is owned by parent company ByteDance, which has offices in Beijing. The platform has 150 million American users but it's been dogged by persistent claims that it threatens national security and user privacy, or could be used to promote pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation.Chew will attempt to persuade lawmakers not to pursue a ban on the app or force its sale to new owners.So are the data security risks real? And should users be worried that the TikTok app will be wiped off their phones?Here’s what to know:WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?Both the FBI and officials at the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data — such as browsing history, lo...

Bill Skarsgård on 'John Wick: Chapter 4,' loss of co-star Lance Reddick and more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

CHICAGO — Dean sat down with star in the new 'John Wick: Chapter 4' franchise, Bill Skarsgård to talk more on his new role, the loss of co-star Lance Reddick and more.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Is Saudi Arabia A Step Closer To Joining BRICS?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

NASA explores brain training tech for future astronauts living on Moon, Mars

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new study is taking a closer look at the role brain training could play on future space missions. Published in January, the NASA-commissioned pilot study used a brain training app called BrainHQ to test five high performing Johnson Spaceflight Center employees.The pilot study used not only the base BrainHQ tests, but also tests designed by NASA that specifically target people like astronauts.The study found that four of the five participants saw 78% improvement in performance on the app. They also performed 19% better on the tests designed by NASA.KXAN spoke with Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science, the developers of BrainHQ. He gave details on the study, what's next and how an app like BrainHQ could help astronauts traveling long distance in space.You can read that interview below or watch an edited version in the video above. Eric Henrikson, KXAN News: Henry, tell me about the research y'all just did?Dr. Henry Mahncke, Posit Science: What we at Posit Science...

Texas football getting key pieces back healthy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Texas students set off for spring break last week, Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian made sure to warn his players to be responsible during their week off.And as they returned for the first spring practice after the break on Tuesday, Sarkisian was proud to report that there had been no incidents during his players' time away."It went well. Proud of our guys," Sarkisian said. "They're in college. They need to be able to enjoy their spring break. Being a Division I football player at The University of Texas, we ask a lot of them. And so when they have opportunities to enjoy being in college, I welcome it." But that wasn't the only good news for Sarkisian and the coaching staff. Redshirt freshman quarterback Maalik Murphy and senior wide receiver Isaiah Neyor also registered their first full practices as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.Murphy was a four-star commit out of California but has battled injuries throughout his time at Texa...